


What Wendy Saw There

by Rand0mAuth0r



Series: Wendy's Wonderland [3]
Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Alice in Wonderland References, Alternate Universe - Alice in Wonderland Fusion, Alternate Universe - Dark, And all of you are coming with me, F/F, Gen, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Going to Hell, I'm Sorry, Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Son Seunghee is just trying to be a good sister, Tags Contain Spoilers, Tags May Change, Tea Parties, Yeri as the Cheshire Cat is a great concept don't @ me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-17 07:24:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14827958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rand0mAuth0r/pseuds/Rand0mAuth0r
Summary: Son Seungwan's always had a bit of a wild imagination.





	1. Down the Rabbit Hole

Son Seungwan was always the weird kid. Maybe it was the way she'd pick at her skin until it flaked off her hands, or the way she'd mutter things to herself, as if having a mini conversation with an invisible person. She could hear how the other kids whisper about her 'not normalness'; by that, they meant how she'd talk to herself, or how she'd randomly start spouting nonsense during class, getting her kicked out and remaining there for the whole lesson.

She didn't mind the times she got sent out of the classroom though, it just meant more time for her to spend more time in the little world she'd made up to help her cope with her loneliness. If you asked her about it, her eyes would widen and she would instantly brighten up, no matter how downcast she may have seemed and she would gladly tell you about her imaginary world, SMTown and all about Joohyun the White Rabbit, Seulgi the March Hare, Sooyoung, the Mad Hatter and Yerim, the Cheshire Cat. They were her best friends and source of comfort in this scary world of people who wanted to change it too fast.

Seungwan would always gush about how Sooyoung told her a riddle the previous day or a silly prank Yerim had pulled on Seulgi or Joohyun and her elder sister, Seunghee would have to listen and nod her head in false enthusiasm, just to humor her little sister. Maybe a long, long time ago, Seunghee would have found this behavior charming, maybe even adorable. But now that her sister was twenty years old, it just became concerning.

* * *

"Wannie, can we talk?" Seunghee asked, setting a plate down on the table as her younger sister looked up.

"Sure, what's up?" She asked, putting her phone down and glancing up at Seunghee.

"It's about Jung Hoseok." She said, elicting a groan from her sister as her head slumped down on the table.

"How many times must I tell that sleazy bastard that I am not interested in him for it to get through his thick skull?" Seungwan asked as Seunghee sighed. Ever since Seungwan had done so much as complimented the boy's shoes during a class, he practically thought Seungwan had gotten down on one knee and proposed to him. He would not stop pestering her and hounding her, until her sister had to intevene.

"It's not too late to file that restraining order, if it gets worse. I don't know if he's hanging outside the door right now. Do it, just in case okay?" Seunghee said, grasping her sister's hand reassuringly. 

"Might as well, I can turn it in after I hand in my essay." Seungwan said, checking the pocket watch her friend, Kim Jennie got her for her birthday. Seunghee squeezed her sister's shoulder and whispered a few words of encouragement into her ear.

* * *

Seungwan had never felt more free. After filing the restraining order and turning in that stupid essay on Mozart, she was free to do whatever she wanted for the weekend. Maybe she could watch a movie with Seunghee if she was free, or maybe play that videogame that Jisoo was pestering her to play, or she could-

"Seungwan!" A sharp voice called out, interrupting her train of thought. Looking around, she thought she saw a girl with rabbit ears a shade of white atop her head.

"Seungwan!" _There it was again! It couldn't be... Could it?_ Tracing the source of the voice, it led to a girl with onyx hair and beautiful brown eyes. Atop her head were rabbit ears the colour of freshly fallen snow, twitching impatiently.

"J-Joohyun?" Seungwan asked nervously as the girl whipped around, a warm smile gracing her features as she wrapped Seungwan in a warm hug. "It's been so long... It's so good to finally see you again. How is Seulgi? Sooyoung? Is Yerimmie still being a pest?" She asked as Joohyun's smile dropped.

"I'm afraid I have no time to explain. Come, we must hurry." Joohyun said, checking her own pocket watch as she took Seungwan by the wrist and ran with her, leading her into an alleyway.

"We're going back aren't we?" Seungwan asked excitedly as she peered into the hole, it had been so long.

"Yes. But not for the reason you think we are." Joohyun said before leaping into the hole.

Seungwan looked at the hole. Had it always been this dark when she was about to fall? Well, she'd been doing it for the past fourteen years of her life, no reason why she should be scared this time around. Taking a deep breath, she put one foot forward and closing her eyes...

Seungwan fell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is also uploaded onto my asianfanfics account @ Rand0mAuth0r as well. Also leave some criticism here and there too. Like I said, I don't bite.


	2. Lair of the Cat

The rush of cool air as she fell, her hair falling free from her loose ponytail, it was all so  _exhilarating_. But something seemed… off, was the Rabbit Hole always this empty? When Seungwan remembered it, it was full of artifacts, books and she swore she saw a cage with a bird in it one time. Looking ahead of her, she saw Joohyun changing into her rabbit form. Odd; she never changed while travelling through Rabbit Holes, Joohyun always kept saying how dangerous it was to transform while in a Rabbit Hole but Seungwan swore she saw Joohyun shudder in discomfort as her transformation ended.

They landed in front of a tree and Seungwan recognized the tree; Yerim's tree. But the human/cat hybrid was nowhere to be seen. Turning to her left, she saw Joohyun in rabbit form, nose twitching nervously.

"What happened? I thought you never transform while in a Rabbit hole." Seungwan asked as Joohyun waved a paw. 

"Forced transformation. Anyway, a lot has changed since you were last here, SM and it's citizens have suffered greatly. Yerim perhaps has suffered the most; she's terribly ill but she won't eat anything, remains in her cat form and keeps muttering about a prophecy. Maybe you'll be able to find out what's wrong with her." She said as Seungwan's heart froze over.

She remembered how she first met Yerim, the girl was just a kitten, learning how to disappear when Seungwan was being chased by a fledgling Jubjub bird on one of her first visits and Yerim had somehow managed to scare it away. The rest as they say, was history. Yerim had been Seungwan's protector whenever she came to SMTown, but now her protector needed protection.

Scaling the tree, she came to a makeshift room in the canopy. Lounging in the bed made of leaves was none other than Yerim. Seungwan couldn't believe her eyes when she saw her; Yerim's coat was no longer it's vibrant purple but instead was a dull, sickly shade of grey. Her bones were visible through her thin frame and _were those tattoos on her skin?_ Her ear perked up when she heard Seungwan push her way past the leaves and got up, smiling her famous Cheshire grin. Even her smile was different. It seemed more maniacal and her incisors seemed to be stained with something that looked suspiciously like blood.

"Ah, Son Seungwan. How good for you to finally show up. My, my, how you've grown." She said, slinking down from the branch, her bony tail raking Seungwan's face.

"Y-Yerim, you're only fifteen and will you stop that?" She aksed batting Yeri's bony tail away. "Tell me what's going on!" She said as Yerim's smile seemed to drop.

"Beyond a shattered looking glass, fairytale becomes nightmare, imagination becomes madness, friend becomes foe and time is running out." She said, looking Seungwan directly between the eyes. "Alice grew up. And so did wonderland." She said, beginning to disappear.

"Wait! What's that supposed to mean?" She called after Yerim.

"Look around. Your answer is all around you." She said, leaving only her twisted smile behind.

* * *

"Well? How'd it go?" Joohyun asked as Seungwan slid down from the tree trunk. She remembered Yerim's words. " _Look around. Your answer is all around you."_  

Looking around, she noticed many, many differences in the landscape. Had the sky always been this dark? The trees were dying, save for Yerim's tree and it was quieter. Too quiet. 

"Joohyun, what happened to SM?" She asked the rabbit, who twitched nervously. Checking her pocket watch, Joohyun looked up anxiously.

"I don't know how to explain it but I'll take you to Seulgi and Sooyoung. Maybe they can explain it better." She said, hopping off, Seungwan running a close distance behind her.


	3. The Hare and the Hatter

Following Joohyun out to a forest, Seungwan pushed past the branches which threatened to gouge her eyes out. She recognized this place; the Rookie Woods. It looked so different. Everything was so… dead, so lifeless, so gloomy and it hurt Seungwan's heart to see it.

* * *

_"Hey slowpoke! Catch up!" A young Yerim said, floating in midair as Seungwan tried to run after the cheeky cat._

_"Wait for Baechu and Sooyoungie. They're right behind us." She said as Yerim huffed impatiently. Just then a small white rabbit and a young girl wearing a top hat ran up, panting as they caught up with the two._

_"Gosh Yerim, I didn't know you'd be this excited for teatime." Sooyoung said, grasping Seungwan's shoulder, trying to catch her breath._

_"Hey, not my fault Seulgi said there'd be mice on toast today. Now come on, I'm starving!" Yerim said, as she floated ahead, the four of them_ _dashing through the brightly colored woods together, laughing as they went along._

* * *

"Seungwan," Joohyun's voice rang out, startling her out of her daydream. "Seungwan, what's wrong?" She asked as Seungwan looked back up at her.

"Nothing, just remembering stuff." She said, casting a glance at the woods around her. Joohyun sighed forlornly.

"I miss the way this place used to be too. Now we must be on our way, mustn't be late for teatime." She said, checking her pocket watch and hopping off through the woods, Seungwan following closely behind.

* * *

A windmill came into the distance as the two reached a clearing, but it wasn't the same windmill that Seungwan remembered. It was completely in ruins, one of the blades was falling off. Where beautiful flowers and lush greenery once grew, now was a desolate wasteland. In the middle of the clearing sat a long table with three figures seated at it. 

"You're late, Joohyun!" Seulgi exclaimed, hopping up to them, yanking out Joohyun's pocket watch and shaking her head. 

"Well, excuse me. But we have someone very important as our guest today." She said in annoyance as Seungwan stepped out from behind a tree, waving shyly.

"S-Seungwan? Wannie! You're back! Sooyoung! Yerim! Wannie's back!" Seulgi said, leaping up and tackling Seungwan in a hug. Looking up, she saw Sooyoung running up and joining the brown hare in the hug as she felt blunt claws dig into her clothes. She turned her head and saw Yerim resting on her shoulder, in all her grotesque glory.

"It's been so long! Come! Sit down, you simply must join us for tea." Seulgi said, dragging Seungwan toward the table and seated her down on a chair, the rest following suit.

"Sugar?" Seulgi offered as Seungwan politely shook her head as Joohyun tried to get Yerim to give her back the milk jug, who was dangling it above her head, threatening to spill it all over the rabbit.

"What's wrong with Sooyoung? She's awfully quiet." Seungwan pointed out. The girl in question was seated at the end of the table, delicately sipping tea from a chipped teacup, occasionally throwing a glance or two in Seungwan's direction. 

"Her cousin Sungjae died two months ago. Seems like she's gone a bit mad if you ask me." Yerim cut in, causing Sooyoung to look up and storm over to the cat.

"How do you know I'm mad? You guddler's scuttish pilgar-lickering, shukm-juggling sluking urpal. Bar lom muck egg brimni-"

"Sooyoung!" Joohyun's voice rang out as Sooyoung seemed to realized where she was. 

"S-sorry. Lost my head for a minute." She said, retreating to her seat and buttering a scone.

"Will someone please tell me what's happening?" Seungwan asked frustratedly. Seulgi was about to say something, when Sooyoung suddenly stood up.

"Fine. If you wish to know so badly, come with me. You too, Yerim." She said, walking away at a quick pace. Shrugging at the two leporids, Seungwan followed after the Hatter, Yerim trailing behind them like a mangled flag.


	4. Gifts of Survival

"Hey, Sooyoung, slow down!" Seungwan said, arms flailing as she panted and grasped the taller girl's shoulder. Yerim tutted and lounged on a tree branch, paw dangling lazily as she smiled down at the two humans.

"You know, aimless dragging isn't going to bring her anywhere right Soo?" She said, rolling off the branch, catching herself in midair before she fell. Sooyoung glared at the cat before turning to Seungwan, her tone grave as she spoke.

"Alright, Joohyun already probably told you but something's off with SMTown,"

"Yeah, I can see that." Seungwan said, gesturing to her surroundings.

"Yeah, yeah, but the thing is, there's something darker at the centre of it all. I don't know how Sungjae died, but his mangled body tells me that it definitely not from falling off a Jubjub Bird like what the doctor said. Find out what's happening. Also, these may come in handy." Sooyoung said, passing Seungwan a knife with a blade of glass, a small vial filled with golden liquid and a small clear box with what appeared to be a slice chocolate cake. 

"But… I still don't know what's happening!" Seungwan said when Yerim swiped at her cheek in annoyance.

"The whole truth you claim to seek eludes you because you won't look what's around you!" She said when Sooyoung glared at her and checked Seungwan's face.

"It's fine, it's fine. I'm alright." Seungwan said gently pushing her hands away as Yerim floated at one side, looking slightly guilty.

"S-sorry." Yerim stuttered as Seungwan reached up scratch her under the neck, causing her to purr contentedly. Sooyoung sighed and tapped Seungwan on the shoulder, suggesting that they should probably get a move on.

* * *

 _"Where are we going you silly hatter?" Seungwan asked as Sooyoung dragged her through the woods, Yerim floating a s_ a _fe distance behind them, twisting and turning in midair._

_"I'll tell you if you can answer this riddle." Sooyoung said as Seungwan looked at her challengingly. "Why is a raven like a writing desk?" She said with a proud smirk as Seungwan pretended to think deeply._

_"Hmm... Gee, Sooyoung, I don't know. Why **is** a raven like a writing desk?" Seungwan asked as Sooyoung opened her mouth._

_"Because it can produce a few notes, though both are very flat." Yerim said boredly flipping upside down as Sooyoung threw her a glare. Seungwan looked at the two and simply laughed, being around the two was always a joy for her, no matter how down she'd been feeling that day._

* * *

"Seungwan!" Sooyoung yelled, shocking her out of the daydream.

"Sorry, sorry, got distracted." Seungwan said, ducking her head out of embarrassment. Why were these flashbacks happening so often? 

"Anyway, since _someone_ couldn't be effed to give you a proper bag for your stuff, here you go." Yerim said, throwing Sooyoung a glance, she handed Seungwan a blue bag made of what appeared to be leaves woven together. "And here's something else for you." Yerim said, holding up a necklace with the symbol for mercury as a pendant and draped it around Seungwan's neck.

"Thank you. But what does this necklace mea- where are you going?" She asked.

"Think of it as your lucky charm!" Yerim yelled as she disappeared, leaving only her smile behind, before it too, disappeared.

Sooyoung sighed before grabbing Seungwan's wrist again. 

"Come on, I'll take you to the Palace of the White Queen. But that's the end of that." She said, dragging Seungwan with her as they trudged through the forest.


	5. Something Wicked this Way Comes

TW: Mild (very mild) gore. You know what you signed up for.

* * *

The two made their way to the castle in silence. Seungwan would occasionally try to start a conversation with Sooyoung, only to be shot down almost immediately or only replied with one word answers. Maybe Yerim was right, that  Sooyoung  _really_ had gone mad. Dispelling these thoughts from her mind, she tried to catch up with the girl in question, only to see that she was nowhere to be found.

"Sooyoung? Sooyoung, where are you? This is no time to be playing games right now." She called out, only to receive no response.

"F-fine! I know my way to the palace from here! I can just make my way there myself! Annoying little piece of..." Seungwan grumbled as she removed the knife from her bag, slashing her way past vines and thin branches. 

As she made her way through the forest, she couldn't help but feel like someone or something was watching her, not from the trees, but from the undergrowth. Seungwan froze in place when she felt warm breath on her neck and heard the soft growling of an animal. Seungwan gulped before taking a step forward and doing what she did best. She ran.

Daring to sneak a glimpse of the beast behind her, Seungwan turned her head and got a look at it. It's head and body  was red as blood as its jaws snapped at Seungwan, it's muscular legs helping to propel it forward as it chased after Seungwan.

An idea came to Seungwan, it was stupid, not to mention life threatening, but it was an idea nonetheless. Spinning around, she faced the creature in all it's fury, taking the knife she held in her hand, she stabbed at its left eye but not before it could slash her across the arm as it roared in pain, paw over its eye socket.

Taking the opportunity while the creature was distracted, Seungwan slashed at its right front paw, causing it to topple to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut. While it was down, she stabbed both its hind legs, blood spurting all over her jacket as its cries of agony grew louder. With one final blow, Seungwan raised the knife above her head and stabbed the beast in its neck; and just for good measure, she stabbed its right eye out as well. 

Breathing heavily, she wiped the blood off the knife and kept it back in her bag, amazed at how the blade hadn't shattered, despite it being made of glass. Seungwan stared at the carcass of the beast and shuddered, wondering how she was able to kill an animal of such size. To her, all she did was hack and slash at it aimlessly as if she were playing a videogame. Staring at the three gashes on her arm, she quickly stumbled out of the woods, trying not to lose more blood than she already was.

* * *

"It appears that you've ran afoul of something with wicked claws." Yerim said, appearing on a signpost that Seungwan was looking at. 

"Yeah... I was attacked in the woods by some huge red monster." She replied as Yerim slunk down to ground level.

"Oh? The Bandersnatch? And you slayed it?" Yerim asked interestedly, referring to the bloodstains on Seungwan's jeans, shirt and jacket. 

"I guess..? What are you doing?" Seungwan asked as Yerim floated up, head extremely close to the scratch.

"It needs to be purified by someone with evaporating skills or it will fester and putrefy." She said, tongue out as Seungwan pulled her arm away.

"No thank you." She said, slightly repulsed by the idea of her emaciated friend licking her arm.

"Well, at least let me bind it for you." Yerim said as she pulled out a purple handkerchief and bound the wounds. Twisting her arm slightly, Seungwan smiled up at the cat before turning her attention back to the signpost.

"Yerim, which way do you think I should go?" She asked, only to see Yerim disappearing once again. 

"Do you know where you're going?" She asked as Seungwan shook her head.

"No."

"If you don't know where you're going, then any road will get you there." Yerim said as she completely disappeared, leaving behind only her smile, which too, vanished. 

Sighing, Seungwan turned back to the signpost. 

"Well, looks like I'm going This Way..." She said to herself as she set off in the direction of the sign.


	6. Tweedledum and Tweedledee

Nothing is ever easy. Seungwan already knew this of course; if she didn't, she'd have to be extremely blind. She was covered head to toe in dried blood and had a huge gash on her arm. Curse that stupid creature and the fact she wasn't given any proper armor... What happened to this world? Was it always this dangerous? But then again, it never was this dark and dreary either. Suppressing a shiver, she carried on along the path she had chosen; despite her earlier words, Seungwan had absolutely no idea where she was going. She was flying on luck at this point.

"Who's there?" She questioned, brandishing her knife as she spun around. "Yerim, if it's you, I will not hesitate to wipe that stupid smile off you- mph!" She was cut off when two pairs of hands dragged her violently into a bush.

"Be quiet!" A voice from behind her whispered loudly. Thrashing around to get free, she got a good look at her kidnapper's face.

"Jungwoo? Lucas?" She asked in bewilderment as both boys looked at her, nodding their heads happily. "Oh, it's so good to see you guys again, you both got... smaller?" She said, getting a closer look at the two boys. She really was not lying when she said they got smaller. Seungwan was already short but the boys were at least a head shorter than her.

"It's been happening all over SMTown. Joohyun, Seulgi and Yerim were forced to transform and now they can't change back into their human forms, me and Lucas both shrank and it's gotten darker." 

"So much darker." Lucas added, shivering as his brother held onto him tightly.

"Well, I'm going to get the bottom of it! You'll see! Everything's going to be alright, okay?" Seungwan said encouragingly, not sure if she was encouraging the boys or herself. Jungwoo and Lucas both smiled at her as she led them both out from behind the bush. "So! Which way to the White Queen's palace?" She asked, clapping her hands as Jungwoo and Lucas pointed in opposite directions, causing her to sigh.

"How about you escort me there?" She asked sweetly as the two boys took hold of her, one on each hand.

"I'll escort her." Jungwoo said, pulling her towards him. At this, Lucas looked affronted and yanked Seungwan towards him instead.

"No, I will." He said as Jungwoo yanked Seungwan closer to her.

"No, I will!" He said as Lucas yanked her back towards him.

"I will!" He said in agitation. 

"I will!" Jungwoo said angrily. 

"BOYS!" Seungwan yelled, capturing their attention. "How about _both_ of you escort me?" She suggested as the two shrugged and led her down the path, silently bickering along the way. 

* * *

"Do you see that, Insania? Fresh meat." A figure asked the large bird sitting on their arm as they scratched under it's sharp beak as it squawked impatiently. "Yes, you can have what's left of them after I'm done." They said as the bird let out a screech.

"Alright, alright. Go; I'll catch up later." They said as the bird flapped it's wings and took off.

* * *

"No, I'm very sure it's this way." Jungwoo said, jerking Seungwan to her left while Lucas jerked Seungwan to her right.

"No, it's  _this_ way." He said, trying to pull her with him when an ear-slitting screech pierced the air. A bird that appeared to be a cross between a monkey eating eagle and a cassowary flew towards them. It made loud 'JUBJUB' sound as it swooped down, snatching the two boys and taking off.

 _"Beware the Jubjub bird."_ That's what Yerim's mother always told them whenever they went out to play, but Seungwan noticed something when the bird snatched up the boys; a tag around its leg. Could Jubjub birds be tamed? That Seungwan did not know.

What she did know was that she was alone once again.


	7. Cat's Cradle

"Is someone lost?" Yerim asked, mockingly petulant as Seungwan swiped at her disembodied head. 

"If you're here to piss me off, you're doing a rather good job of it. Now if you aren't going help me, I suggest you leave me alone." She said, but not before tripping on a pebble on the path. "Okay, do me a favor and stop laughing before I make you stop." She said as Yerim tried to stifle her laughter.

"I'm sorry, seeing you trip on what is basically thin air is hilarious. Okay, okay, I'll stop." She said as Seungwan glared at her. "Where are you going anyway?" She asked as Seungwan pushed past her.

"I'm going to the Palace of White Queen. Now, if you'd be so kind as to-"

"The Queen is dead." Yerim said, cutting Seungwan off midsentence. Though shocked at this revelation, she quickly regained her composure and requested for Yerim to take her to the Queen of Hearts, only to find out that both queens had been found dead in their castles respectively, the killer had not been found since, though the only piece of proof left behind the feather of a Jubjub bird; the two queens' bodies were nowhere to be found.

"Your journey is pointless. You might as well give up and go home before it's too late. Seungwan, listen to me. Forget about this place, forget about me, forget about Joohyun, about Seulgi, forget about everything; you have a fulfilling life ahead of you, don't throw it all away for nothing. This place is a lost cause, no point in trying to save it now." Yerim said pleadingly as Seungwan turned around, a fire blazing in her eyes.

"No. I won't give up on this place. This place has been my only source of joy for the past fifteen years of my life and all of you have been my only friends. So, I'm not giving up on this place, and you can't make me." She said determinedly, causing Yerim to sigh and shake her head.

"Fine, fine, I'll take you to the Castle of the Two Sisters. But, don't say I didn't warn you." Yerim said as Seungwan followed behind her.

* * *

"Is this how it all started? The death of the queens?" Seungwan asked as Yerim shook her head, barely turning to look at her. 

"Let's just say the death of the queens was the final straw. You really missed a lot when you weren't here." Yerim answered shortly as they came up to what was once a grand palace, now it was in complete ruins.

"Is this the palace? Or at least, what's left of it." Seungwan asked, only to receive no reply. She didn't bother to check whether or not Yerim was still behind her; it was safe to assume that Yerim didn't want to be here anyway. Knife in hand, she pushed past the rusting iron gates, ready to brave whatever dangers that faced her within the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate this chapter with my whole being. I really do. Go ahead and yell at me in the comments about how shitty this is.


	8. Belly of the Beast (Part 1)

TW: Mentions of torture and gore. Lots and  _lots_ of it. You've been warned. 

* * *

Past the gates, Seungwan saw a clumsily nailed sign on the palace archways. The faded words on the sign read 'Verrückte Asylum'. When she read those words, Seungwan tried to remember where she had heard that word from. Past the broken and rotting oak wood doors lay a grisly sight to behold. No wonder SMTown was so empty and quiet; the skeletons and rotting corpses of the citizens laid haphazardly all over the place. Some corpses had been so horribly disfigured, such as having the skin on their faces ripped off completely, leaving maggots, flies and other insects to feast on their rotting flesh, others had appeared to have had their bones broken and reset in the most gruesome ways possible; one man's bones were broken and reset such that his corpse made him look like a crab.

Should Seungwan have looked up, she would have seen two skeletons nailed to two crosses respectively, tarnished crowns on their heads, dressed in purple and gold with red stains on the robes and a sceptre in each hand. In between the two crosses were the words, 'Long live the Queens' written in a suspicious bloodlike substance.

The logical part of Seungwan's brain was shrieking at her to hightail it out of there, as if the corpses strewn around weren't a big enough clue to tell her so, but the other, less logical part told her to keep exploring; she came for answers and answers she shall get. Deciding to start with the west wing, Seungwan grasped her knife tightly as she set off down the cadaver-filled corridors.

Through the hallways, Seungwan peered into rooms when the door was left open; some rooms had been repurposed as torture chambers, all sorts of torture devices hung from the walls or ceilings, such as pliers or electric chairs and tasers, and some rooms just had more dead bodies. She swore in one room, she saw a chair made out of human arms. It was sickening and Seungwan really just wanted to get out but the fate of SMTown rested on her thin shoulders, and so she pressed on.

Coming to a room with the door left wide open, Seungwan saw something she hoped to never see in her life; Joohyun and Seulgi were strapped to operating tables, stuck in a grotesque phase between transformations, half of them was rabbit and hare respectively and the other half was human and they were cut open, brains exposed, bones jutting out of their skin and entrails spilling everywhere but the most gruesome bit was how parts of them had been cut off and sewn onto the other.

Seulgi's left ear was cut off and sewn onto the place where Joohyun's right ear would have been, one of Joohyun's eyes were missing and Seulgi's fingernails were gone, blood dripping in their place. Suppressing a shudder, Seungwan tried to move on but the image of her best friends' mangled bodies was etched in her mind, their mouths open in silent screams.


	9. Belly of the Beast (Part 2)

TW: References to torture and gore. Please exercise caution when reading. 

* * *

Seungwan feared what next horrible things the castle had to offer her as she continued to the upper floor, her brain screaming at her to leave. On the upper floors were more horrible sights to see, people were sewn to each other and simply left to rot, others had appeared to have large bites taken out of their corpses as if an animal had eaten parts of them. A few corpses were skinned and their skin was nailed to the wall opposite to where the body was strapped as if to taunt them. 

Somehow, Seungwan had managed to trip over a bone lying in the middle of the corridor and tumbled into a light-filled room and what she saw there was something she would never be able to unsee. In the room, Jungwoo and Lucas' arms were spread and bound by the back, their bodies forced to kneel on the ground.

Their ribs were severed from their spines and their lungs pulled through the openings to create a pair of 'wings'. Standing on Lucas' left arm was a Jubjub bird, pecking at the flesh on his rib. As she tiptoed out of the room, Seungwan suddenly heard the screech of the bird, as if it just noticed her presence. Not even bothering to turn and look, Seungwan bolted out of the room and down the stairs until she was completely sure she had lost the bird. 

Looking around, she noticed she was in another part of the castle; she'd run so far she hadn't noticed where she was going. She seemed to be in some sort of dungeon, the hinges on the door were rusted and several skeletons, some which appeared to be wearing straightjackets and muzzles sat in the corners of the room, others were chained by their ankles from shackles on the wall.

"Well, well, someone lost again?" Yerim's taunting voice came from somewhere in the room. 

"I'm not lost," Seungwan said, more of a reassurance than a statement. Looking around the room, Seungwan noticed the writings on the walls around her. The same symbol appearing on the walls was the same as the symbol that dangled off her necklace. "Yerim, what does this symbol mean?" She asked, holding up the necklace as the cat looked it over.

"Do you not know your alchemical symbols? This is the symbol for Quicksilver, otherwise known as mercury. As you may know, mercury poisoning causes madness. Or were you not paying attention during science class when they went through that particular topic?" Yerim asked as her tail struck the rotting wood boards on the windows, causing them to fall off.

Now that there was more light in the room, Seungwan could see the writings on the wall more clearly, other than the mercury symbol, there was the repeated word 'Jabberwocky'. Turning to Yerim to ask about the meaning of the word, only to see that the cat had disappeared once again. Tracing the words carved onto the stones, Seungwan wondered where she had heard the word from.

* * *

_"...And then, just when the little boy thought he was safe, the Jabberwocky appeared!" Sooyoung yelled, adding a loud roar at the end of her words, causing Yerim and Joohyun to scream loudly as the six-year-old let out a loud peal of laughter._

_"How are you both still scared by that story? Sooyoung tells it almost all the time whenever we have sleepovers together." Seungwan said as Sooyoung fell off her chair, still laughing even as her butt hit the ground._

_"It's still scary..." Joohyun said with a pout._

_"Yerim's turning five tommorow, that's understandable; you're twelve, going to turn thirteen and you're scared by a kid's story." Seulgi said as she scratched behind Yerim's ears, listening to the young girl purr softly as Joohyun struggled to argue back while Sooyoung and Seungwan giggled in the background._

* * *

Was the ceiling leaking? Seungwan wouldn't be surprised; the place was in dire need of maintenance. Looking up, she saw the Bandersnatch in all it's grotesque glory, except that it's eyes had been replaced, it's neck neatly stitched up and it's legs replaced with mechanical prostheses.

Confused as to how the creature was still alive, Seungwan took her knife and tried to run it into the beast's jaw, but not before it could lunge at her, causing her to roll out of harm's way. Realizing that there was no point in trying to fight, Seungwan immediately turned and did what she seemed to to do best.

Running away.


	11. Epilogue

Seungwan woke up, her sister seated next to her. She embraced her before looking up and observing her surroundings. This room was too clean, too white, too bright, too orderly and too sensible. She didn't like it. 

"Seunghee, where am I?" She asked, propping herself up on the pillows. She heard her elder sister sigh before replying her.

"You were found unconscious in an alleyway, and you were muttering about someone named Kang Seulgi and Bae Joohyun and Kim Yerim..." She stopped listening there and got up, gingerly pushing herself off the bed and walked toward the door.

"...You here and- where do you think you're going?" Seunghee asked before Seungwan turned to see Seunghee approaching her and smiled. Her big sister would always be there for her.

"I've got to get back to Joohyun, Seulgi and Yerim. Help me open the door- wait, what are you doing? No! Stop! Let go of me! I need to see my Baechu! My teddy bear's waiting for me! Stop it! Let go!" She said, jiggling the locked door when it was thrown open and two nurses marched in and grabbed her by the arms and threw her back onto the bed.

Seungwan didn't know what was happening. She needed to get back, she needed to. They were all waiting for her. Joohyun, Seulgi and Yerim, they would be so worried. She kicked, screamed and thrashed around in the firm grip of the nurses.

"Wannie, they don't exist. They never have and never will. They're all just in your head." Seunghee said, tapping her sister's forehead. Seungwan shook her head. They were real. Why didn't Seunghee believe her?

"No! No, no, no! They're real! They're waiting for me! I need to go back, don't you get it? Seunghee, please, please believe me. You think they're real right? You believe me right?" She begged, still restrained by the nurses. 

She felt a sudden weight on her left and looked up to see Seunghee seated next to her. Seungwan smiled and leant into her sister's side and hummed appreciatively, her eyes hopeful as she looked up at her older sister.

"I don't know what's going on, but I know you're not alright. You just have to trust me, okay?" She said as Seungwan felt her hopeful smile fall.

She didn't believe her. Seunghee didn't believe her.

"Y-you don't believe me." Seungwan muttered, as if wishing she was only dreaming. Why? Why didn't she believe her? Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Seunghee trying to reach out to touch her arm and instinctively shrank back. "You don't believe me..." She repeated, hugging herself and slowly rocking back and forth.

"I think we should just leave your sister to be for now." A doctor whispered to Seunghee, who could only nod as she exited the room, but not before placing a kiss on her younger sister's forehead. 

"Wan-wan, I don't know what's wrong, but I promise, I'll help you get back to normal okay?" She promised and shut the door behind her.

The room was quiet. Too quiet. The silence seemed deafening to the scrawny girl as her eyes darted all around the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yerim's emaciated figure, floating into full view.

"Don't listen to them. You're perfectly fine the way you are. After all, madness isn't a state of mind. Madness is a place. Let's go there, shall we?" She asked, offering a paw to Seungwan who took it hesitantly. 

* * *

**A/N:** And with that, Seungwan's story has come to a close. Thank you for journeying with her and me, we had a lot of fun on our adventure together. Okay, now it's question time. Who was your favorite character? How many of you thought this was going to have a happy ending? How many of you expected Sooyoung to be the antagonist? How many of you wish this was longer? Leave your thoughts in the comments. I'll see you all in the next story, coming very soon!

- _Randy_


End file.
